Home Office

Asylum: Children

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have sought legal advice on the powers of the Home Office to place unaccompanied migrant children in hotels.

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they use to decide whether a hotel used to accommodate unaccompanied migrant children is suitable for that use.

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what system of monitoring they use to ensure that hotels accommodating unaccompanied migrant children meet the standards necessary for that purpose.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Any legal advice received by the Home Office is subject to legal professional privilege and, as such, we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.When considering whether to accommodate Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Home Office operated hotels, advice and guidance was sought from organisations with expertise and experience with young people. These included the Department for Education, the Home Office Safeguarding Advice and Children’s Champion and local authorities.This information was used to develop the processes and procedures to ensure the safety of the young people accommodated in the hotels.Safeguarding is a key consideration when identifying potential hotels for temporary use. The Home Office undertake hotel specific risk assessments before contracting any site.The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.We continue to consult multi-agency partners and subject matter experts to ensure our processes and procedures are robust and evolve as new trends or risks emerge.

Refugees: Resettlement

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government which countries the 887 refugees who were granted resettlement through the UK Resettlement Scheme in 2022 come from.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office publishes data on resettlement in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ on GOV.uk. Data on refugees resettled under the UK Resettlement Scheme by nationality and host country can be found in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’ on GOV.uk. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relate to the year ending December 2022.The top 5 nationalities resettled under the UK Resettlement Scheme in 2022 were Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.The top 5 host countries where refugees were identified as requiring resettlement by the UNHCR in 2022 were Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq.

Refugees: Ukraine

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of providing the same monthly 'thank you' payments to those hosting people who arrived in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme as are provided to hosts on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Ukrainian nationals coming to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme are given access to work, benefits and public services as laid down in Appendix Ukraine to the Immigration Rules, details of which can be found at:Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Those sponsoring under the Ukraine Family Scheme are not required to provide accommodation.Therefore, the Government has not extended the £350 per month ‘thank you’ payment offered to those who are willing to offer a home to refugees arriving in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine and Super Sponsor Schemes to those sponsoring under the Ukraine Family Scheme.Sponsoring family members able to provide appropriate accommodation can choose to sponsor their family members under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme in order to become eligible for the ‘thank you’ payment. They must undergo all the relevant local authority checks before their family member arrives in the UKThe conditions attached to both Ukraine Scheme visas are identical in terms of length of permission to stay, entitlements to work and access to public funds. Local authorities also have flexibility as to how they use the £150 million funding for the Homes for Ukraine scheme to support Ukrainians on the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Missing Persons: Ethnic Groups

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to include in the National Crime Agency’s Missing Persons Data Report data on the ethnicity of people who go missing including (1) the recorded risk factors of those people, such as mental health issues, sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation, (2) the length of time missing, and (3) how those people are found or return.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: This is a matter for the National Crime Agency (NCA), which is operationally independent of Government. The NCA’s annual Missing Persons Data Report includes analysis of risk factors, duration of missing incidents and statistics on found and returned persons. The Home Office has funded the National Policing lead for Missing persons to conduct research to explore disproportionality and discrimination in police missing persons investigations; comparing how risk is categorised in different ethnic groups. The final report will be completed this year. Deputy Chief Constable Hankinson, the National Policing lead for Missing Persons is committed to working with partner agencies to understand issues of disproportionality and addressing any issues of unconscious bias if this is indicated in the research.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the termination of the European Social Fund on 31 March, whenfunding will be made available from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to social economy projects throughout the UK.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The economic inactivity competition closed on 27 January 2023, and we received a strong and positive response from organisations across Northern Ireland seeking to deliver economic inactivity and Multiply support. Project assessment has now concluded and we are working with a view to taking final selection decisions as quickly as possible.We recognise the need for this important funding to be in place promptly as the European Social Fund support draws to a close in Northern Ireland at the end of this month.

Local Government: Audit

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the threshold made under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 below which smaller authorities are exempt from routine external audit and are instead subject to the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government has committed to review the threshold for audit requirements relating to smaller authorities as part of the Redmond Review and is considering these requirements within the context of its broader programme of work on local audit.

Department for Education

Children: Nutrition

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the analysis by the Child Poverty Action Group, published in June 2022, which found that there are currently 800,000 children in poverty in England that are not eligible for free school meals, what steps they are taking to ensure that all children in poverty are eating a healthy and substantial lunch every day.

Baroness Barran: The Autumn Statement 2022 announced £26 billion in cost of living support for 2023/24. This includes Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable. In 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to a further £900 in Cost-of-Living Payments. A £300 payment will be made to pensioner households and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Also included is the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24 and raising the benefit cap by 10.1% in line with inflation.For those who require extra support, the government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding to £2.5 billion. In England this will be delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities use to help households with the cost of essentials. It will be for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding.In addition to this, we are investing over £200 million a year in our Holiday Activities and Food programme. All local authorities in England are delivering this programme and last year we reached more than 600,000 children over the summer.The government is also continuing support for breakfast clubs and will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas through our national school breakfasts programme. The programme, worth up to £24 million, means that thousands of children will be offered nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing and readiness for education throughout 2021/23.In setting a threshold for Free School Meals, the department believes that the current level, which enables the most disadvantaged children to benefit from FSM while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one. The department will continue to keep free school meal (FSM) eligibility under review, ensuring that these meals are supporting those who most need them.

Children in Care: Ethnic Groups

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to collect and publish data and analysis on the ethnicity of looked-after children who go missing, including their recorded risk factors, such as mental health issues, sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation.

Baroness Barran: The department collects information on children looked after in the annual Children Looked After (SSDA903) data return, including information on missing incidents. The data collected includes the primary need of a child starting to be looked after, which is collected using an established code set, set out in the collection guide. These categories are not intended to be exhaustive, and mental health issues, sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation are not specified categories. The data collection guide is published online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/children-looked-after-return-guide-to-submitting-data.The department publishes an annual statistical release which contains information on looked after children who have gone missing. This release disaggregates missing incidents by age, duration or placement, but not ethnicity, although this data is collected. The department reviews the content of statistical publications in light of user needs.The published information is available in table G1 of the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review their support for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Baroness Barran: The United Kingdom remains fully committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and is dedicated to protecting and promoting children’s rights in all aspects of society.The department is fully engaged with the UNCRC reporting process. We submitted our UK State Party report in June 2022 and are preparing for the Constructive Dialogue with the UN Committee in May 2023.Through the use of Children’s Rights Impact Assessments, the government has sought to embed the consideration of children’s rights and compatibility with the Convention at the heart of policy making.Strengthening children’s rights is a continuous process and we look forward to receiving the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee in June 2023, so we can continue to look for new and better ways of promoting the best interests of children.

Children: Safety

Lord Touhig: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the Children Act 1989 to remove the legal duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need.

Baroness Barran: His Majesty’s Government do not have any plans to amend the Children Act 1989 to remove the legal duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need.

Attorney General

Domestic Abuse: Convictions

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what were the conviction rates for prosecutions of domestic violence in each of the last five years, disaggregated by the ethnicity of the victim.

Lord Stewart of Dirleton: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds no data showing the number of convictions for domestic violence by the ethnicity of the victim. The Ministry of Justice hold official statistics on proceedings and convictions which can be found here: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Female Genital Mutilation: Prosecutions

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Sharpe of Epsom on 14 March (HL6096),what assessment they have made of why there have only been two prosecutions for female genital mutilation out of the 229 offences recorded.

Lord Stewart of Dirleton: The Government is committed to tackling female genital mutilation (FGM) and all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The familial and hidden nature of FGM presents challenges in bringing a prosecution. Victims are mostly of a young age and vulnerable, and they often do not want to report offences that could lead to them giving evidence against family members. Some identified FGM victims have had the procedure before coming to the UK to live; in these circumstances there may not be jurisdiction to prosecute where the offence had no connection to the UK. Securing prosecutions is important, but it is also essential to protect women and girls at risk and to prevent FGM happening in the first place. FGM Protection Orders, mandatory reporting by front-line staff and an offence of failing to protect a girl from FGM are being used to safeguard those who may be at risk. The Government is funding a feasibility study to explore whether a more rigorous estimation of the prevalence of FGM and forced marriage in England and Wales can be made, to allow a deeper understanding of these crimes.The CPS is working closely with stakeholders, including FGM support organisations, to develop a new VAWG Strategy to bring more offenders to justice and to improve victims’ experience of the criminal justice system. It will be published in Summer 2023.

Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany electric vehicle charging points have been installed across the UK in each year since 2010.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Data on electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport, is sourced from those installed or funded under government approved grant schemes, operated by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and from the electric vehicle charging platform Zap-Map. Charging devices not supplied via these schemes or recorded on Zap-Map are not included and the true number of charging devices may be higher than recorded in these figures. The below table provides the data requested, for the years available for the United Kingdom as at 01 January 2023; Year installedi.) Public Charging Devicesii.) Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)Charging Devicesiii.) Domestic Residential Scheme (DRS)  Charging Devicesiv.) Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grants (EVCG) Socketsv.) Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)  Sockets2010-----2011-----2012-----2013--5,044--20142,283-35,289--20151,38915,826---20161,43912,843--420172,10018,052--89420183,09821,614--1,65620196,19625,994--4,52420204,27054,213--6,25720217,600117,341--11,11020228,68071,391-1,58715,047 Table notes:- Zap-Map data not available before this or grant scheme not running in this time periodi. Denotes the increase in the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging devices in each year;ii. EVHS was introduced at the end of the 2014 calendar year and so has been grouped with 2015 to allow minimal suppression of counts.

Electric Scooters: Urban Areas

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether existing legislation relating to the use of e-scooters in urban areas is fit for purpose.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In the UK, e-scooters are treated like any other motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act which means that they are subject to laws requiring them to be built and used safely. The law was not drafted with e-scooters in mind and therefore it is not possible for most e-scooter users to comply with the legal requirements for motor vehicles as set out in this paragraph. As a result, the use of private e-scooters is illegal under current legislation, and enforcement is a matter for the police. The Department is currently running trials of rental e-scooters in 24 areas across England, including urban areas, to assess their safety and wider impacts. The trials will help us to better understand the benefits of e-scooters and their impact on public space, and help consider options for future regulations for e-scooters. When parliamentary time allows, the Department intends to create a Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category that is independent of the cycle and motor vehicle categories. The first beneficiaries of this new system will be e-scooters, which we intend to legalise for private and rental use through secondary legislation. No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters, and we will consult in due course.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the infrastructure required to meet their goal for all new cars sold from 2030 to be electric vehicles.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In March 2022, the Department for Transport published its Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy, which sets out its plans to accelerate the rollout of public EV chargepoints. The strategy states that the Government expects that approximately 300,000 public chargepoints will be installed across the UK by 2030. The Department monitors progress and publishes data on the installation of public chargepoints, broken down by local authority areas, on a quarterly basis. The latest data, published on 1 March 2023, shows that public charging devices have more than tripled in four years from 10,300 devices in January 2019 to over 38,700. This includes more than 7,400 rapid devices. In 2022, an average of 723 public charging devices were added to the UK’s public charging network each month. The Government is now focusing on two crucial sectors: ultra-rapid chargers on the strategic road network through the Rapid Charging Fund, and local on-street charging through the Local EV Infrastructure Fund and On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.

Avanti West Coast

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government whatis their justification for the further extension to the contract for Avanti West Coast, given its service record over the last six months.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Avanti West Coast (AWC) introduced a new timetable in December which amounted to an approximate 40 per cent increase in services. The first month did not see an improvement for passengers given the period of prolonged industrial action. Since then, AWC has demonstrated improvement in performance justifying an extension to October 2023, with cancellation rates falling to an average of 4.2 per cent in early March. AWC needs to do more to win back passengers with a reliable and dependable service.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Renewable Energy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage the transition awayfrom fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources through further investment in new technologies.

Lord Callanan: The Government primarily supports green electricity through its flagship Contracts for Difference scheme, which has so far awarded contracts totalling nearly 27GW of new low-carbon electricity capacity across all technologies. This month the Government has launched CfD Allocation Round 5, which is the first in a series of annual auctions going forward. In the Spring Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer also announced an unprecedented £20 billion investment in the early development of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), to help meet the Government’s climate commitments.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the decline in the size of the North Sea oil sector on the UK economy.

Lord Callanan: The Government is committed to supporting the upstream oil and gas industry. It established the North Sea Transition Authority in recognition of the mature nature of the UK Continental Shelf. The North Sea Transition Deal, agreed with industry, will support workers, businesses and the supply chain by harnessing industry’s existing capabilities to exploit emerging technologies such as hydrogen, carbon capture usage and storage and offshore wind. It could support 40,000 jobs, generate investment, new business and trade. The Government is also funding the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone, supporting jobs and green growth.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatenvironmental monitoring will form part of future carbon capture and storage projects beneath the seabed.

Lord Callanan: Upon receiving an application for a carbon dioxide storage permit, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is required by law to ensure (amongst other requirements) that the storage complex and surrounding area have been sufficiently characterised and assessed to ensure there is no significant risk of leakage, or of harm to the environment or human health. As part of the storage permit application, the operator will be required to set out a monitoring plan to demonstrate conformance and containment, detection, and measurement of a significant irregularity or leakage event.

Carbon Emissions

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including provisions on carbon leakage as part of the Energy Bill.

Lord Callanan: The Government is delivering the landmark Energy Bill which will liberate private investment in clean technologies and deliver the crucial transformation of the energy system for the long term. The UK recognises the importance of addressing the risk of carbon leakage to ensure that its ambitious policy of decarbonisation is not undermined through the transition to Net Zero. Whilst the Energy Bill does not contain explicit provisions relating to carbon leakage, the Government committed to consult on a range of potential mitigations for carbon leakage in the spring.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Countryside: Access

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impact on their commitment to ensure that everyone in England is 15 minutes' walk from green and blue spaces of their decision to re-impose a deadline for recording historic rights of way.

Lord Benyon: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in England can access green and blue spaces within a 15-minute walk as outlined in our Environmental Improvement Plan. The rights of way reforms package will reduce bureaucracy and speed up the process for new rights of way to be added to the legal record for everyone to enjoy.

Rights of Way

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey willprovide additional funding for local highway authorities to address (1) the backlog of 4,000 applications for historic rights of way, and (2) the 41,000 miles of potentially unrecorded routes discovered by the Ramblers and its volunteers.

Lord Benyon: Funding for local authorities is a matter for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Aquaponics: Expenditure

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spent supporting aquaponics in each year since 2018.

Lord Benyon: Since 2018 we have funded around £70,000 in aquaponics projects through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Maritime and Fisheries Fund. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the UK Government provides £32.7 million in annual funding to support the seafood sector in addition to the £100 million UK Seafood Fund. We have not received any applications for aquaponics projects through either scheme. However, part of the £32.7 million is used to deliver the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, the grant funding scheme for the seafood sector in England which includes funding for aquaculture projects, and aquaponics-based projects focused on increasing fish production or revenue would likely be eligible.

Cabinet Office

Prisoners: Life Expectancy

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of any difference in life expectancy of prisoners to the population a whole; and if so, what is that difference.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the noble Lord’s Parliamentary Question of 6 March is attached. The Rt Hon. the Lord PattenHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW8 March 2023Dear Lord Patten,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking whether any assessment has been made of any difference in life expectancy of prisoners to the population as a whole; and if so, what is that difference (HL6095).The ONS produces the National Statistics on life expectancy for the population as a whole, local areas of the United Kingdom and for socioeconomic classes. The ONS have not estimated the life expectancy of prisoners in its regular portfolio of life expectancy releases and would require new complex analyses to produce such statistics.Currently, the Ministry of Justice provides official estimates of deaths in prison custody in England and Wales [1] as part of their Safety in custody statistics [2] , with reference to broad cause of death categories assigned prior to coroner’s inquest.The ONS produce Experimental Statistics [3] on deaths in prisoners, by linking the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data together to give additional insight into suicide and drug-related deaths in prison custody [4]. [1] Deaths in prison custody, Ministry of Justice.[2] Safety in custody statistics, Ministry of Justice[3] Experimental Statistics, ONS[4] Drug-related deaths and suicide in prison custody in England and Wales: 2008 to 2019ONS Response (pdf, 107.9KB)

Equal Pay: Special Educational Needs

Baroness Eaton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the income gap between workers with special educational needs and disabilities and those without.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the noble Baroness’ Parliamentary Question of 28 February is attached.The Baroness Eaton DBE BLHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW2 March 2023Dear Lady Eaton,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the income gap between workers with special educational needs and disabilities and those without (HL5984).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not currently hold estimates of the total income gap specifically. However, the ONS has published relevant analysis on the average earnings of disabled and non-disabled employees in the UK.The publication Disability pay gaps in the UK: 2021 [1] provides the latest available information from the Annual Population Survey (APS) comparing earnings of disabled and non-disabled employees up to 2021.In 2021, disabled employees earnt an average (median) of £12.10 per hour and non-disabled employees £14.03 per hour, a difference of 13.8%. This difference has widened slightly since 2014 when disabled employees earnt an average 11.7% less than non-disabled employees.This publication looks at the impact of some of the factors that may affect disabled employees pay such as their impairment type or severity. For example, in 2021 disabled employees with autism as their main impairment had a wider difference in average pay than disabled people with other types of main impairment, having an average pay 33.5% less than non-disabled employees. Disabled employees who were limited a lot in their day-to-day activities had a wider difference in average pay to non-disabled employees (19.9% less) than disabled employees whose day-to-day activities were limited a little (12.1% less).This publication also shows that after controlling for the differences in personal characteristics such as age, where they live and occupation type, differences in average pay between disabled and non-disabled employees were narrower but persisted.The largest narrowing was seen for disabled employees with autism as their main impairment, where the difference in average pay to non-disabled employees was estimated to be 9.9% after accounting for differences in personal and job characteristics between disabled and nondisabled employees, compared with 33.5% before doing so.For further context, other ONS data, such as that published within Outcomes for disabled people in the UK: 20212 , provides the latest available information on outcomes for disabled people across a range of areas of life including employment, education, social participation, housing, well-being, loneliness and crime. We will of course take your question into account as we continue to produce analysis relevant to the experiences of disabled people, working to ensure that it is inclusive and highlights the experiences of different groups.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/articles/disability paygapsintheuk/2021[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/articles/outcome sfordisabledpeopleintheuk/2021ONS Response (pdf, 117.4KB)

Marriage: Churches

Lord Kilclooney: To ask His Majesty's Government, what percentage of religious marriages in England were solemnised in (1) Anglican churches, (2) Reformed Evangelical churches, and (3) Roman Catholic churches, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the noble Lord/Baroness’ Parliamentary Question of 28 February is attached. The Rt Hon. the Lord KilclooneyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW7 March 2023Dear Lord Kilclooney,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many marriages took place in England for the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many of those were secular (HL6000) and what percentage of religious marriages in England were solemnised in (1) Anglican churches, (2) Reformed Evangelical churches, and (3) Roman Catholic churches, in the most recent year for which figures are available. (HL6001).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes ‘Marriages data for England and Wales’[1] with the most recent being for 2019. The total number of marriages in England in 2019 (including both civil and religious marriages) was 208,151 [2] . Of these, the total number of civil marriages in England was 170,634.[3,4]The total number of religious marriages in England in 2019 was 37,517. 72.5 per cent of these were Church of England. Marriages in Reformed Evangelical churches are included in ‘Other Christian denominations’ which accounted for 11.4 per cent of religious marriages [5] . 10.4 per cent of religious marriages in England in 2019 were Roman Catholic.If you need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/bulletins/marriagesinenglandandwalesprovisional/2019[2]Figures include marriages to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.[3]Civil marriages are those which are carried out at either a register office or approved premises by or in the presence of a registrar, and do not include any religious content.[4]Marriage statistics by manner of solemnisation (either civil or religious) can be misleading as some religious marriages (such as Muslim and Sikh) can take place at unregistered premises. To be registered as a legal marriage the couple have a further marriage ceremony in a register office or approved building. Such weddings are coded as civil marriages because only the civil marriage certificate is received.[5] 'Evangelical Reformed churches’ are included in ‘Other Christian denominations' which also include Methodist, Calvinistic Methodist, United Reformed Church, Congregationalist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends (Quakers), Salvation Army, Brethren, Mormon, Unitarian and Jehovah's Witnesses'. ONS Response to PQ6000 and PQ6001 (pdf, 112.6KB)

Marriage

Lord Kilclooney: To ask His Majesty's Government how many marriages took place in England for the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many of those were secular.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the noble Lord/Baroness’ Parliamentary Question of 28 February is attached.The Rt Hon. the Lord KilclooneyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW7 March 2023Dear Lord Kilclooney,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many marriages took place in England for the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many of those were secular (HL6000) and what percentage of religious marriages in England were solemnised in (1) Anglican churches, (2) Reformed Evangelical churches, and (3) Roman Catholic churches, in the most recent year for which figures are available. (HL6001).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes ‘Marriages data for England and Wales’[1] with the most recent being for 2019. The total number of marriages in England in 2019 (including both civil and religious marriages) was 208,151 [2] . Of these, the total number of civil marriages in England was 170,634.[3,4]The total number of religious marriages in England in 2019 was 37,517. 72.5 per cent of these were Church of England. Marriages in Reformed Evangelical churches are included in ‘Other Christian denominations’ which accounted for 11.4 per cent of religious marriages [5] . 10.4 per cent of religious marriages in England in 2019 were Roman Catholic.If you need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/bulletins/marriagesinenglandandwalesprovisional/2019[2]Figures include marriages to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.[3]Civil marriages are those which are carried out at either a register office or approved premises by or in the presence of a registrar, and do not include any religious content.[4]Marriage statistics by manner of solemnisation (either civil or religious) can be misleading as some religious marriages (such as Muslim and Sikh) can take place at unregistered premises. To be registered as a legal marriage the couple have a further marriage ceremony in a register office or approved building. Such weddings are coded as civil marriages because only the civil marriage certificate is received.[5] 'Evangelical Reformed churches’ are included in ‘Other Christian denominations' which also include Methodist, Calvinistic Methodist, United Reformed Church, Congregationalist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends (Quakers), Salvation Army, Brethren, Mormon, Unitarian and Jehovah's Witnesses'.ONS Response to PQ6000 and PQ6001 (pdf, 112.6KB)

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Horizon Europe

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government why Horizon Europe is not part of their Science and Technology Framework, published on 6 March.

Viscount Camrose: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given by my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation to the Hon Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central on 14th March 2023 to Question 158905.Answer to Question 158905 (pdf, 79.7KB)

Horizon Europe: Marine Environment

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions theyhave had with the marine science community about the future of the UK’s involvement in Horizon Europe.

Viscount Camrose: The Government continues to be ready to work constructively with the EU on a range of issues including UK association to Horizon Europe. The Department has socialised plans on alternatives to Horizon with the marine science sector in June and December 2022 roundtables during their development. We will continue to put the interests of businesses and researchers across the UK, including in the marine science community, first so they can take forward ground-breaking research and drive forward innovation with their international partners.

Horizon Europe

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect that negotiations will be completed with the EU regarding (1) membership of, and (2) access to, Horizon Europe.

Viscount Camrose: Following the agreement of the Windsor Framework, the Government welcomes the EU’s openness to discussions following two years of delays. The Government continues to be ready to work constructively with the EU on a range of issues including UK association to Horizon Europe. The EU have not yet made any proposals to address the financial terms of UK association, given we are now over 2 years into a 7-year programme. The Government has acted to support researchers and businesses across the UK by introducing the Horizon Guarantee - now extended until end June 2023 and, in November last year, announced £684m of investment into UK R&D.

Department for Business and Trade

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-pacific Partnership

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress theyhave made in negotiations for the UK’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP); and when they expect to accede to membership.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The UK is continuing to negotiate accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. Recent discussions have seen the department make considerable progress towards concluding talks, aiming to finish them at the earliest opportunity. The Government is working to ensure that the UK joins on terms that work for British business and are in line with domestic priorities.Joining CPTPP will offer significant benefits to exporters. It could give tariff free access to up to 99% of UK goods, to export to a market of 500 million people, while reducing barriers to our world leading service firms.

Manufacturing Industries: Digital Technology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to createstrategic investment plans for automation and digitalisation to help UK manufacturing businesses.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Made Smarter, the UK industrial digitalisation programme, helps manufacturers capitalise on new digital technologies, slash carbon emissions and drive-up productivity. This includes a £24m adoption programme supporting SMEs in 5 key manufacturing regions, and a £147m innovation programme to develop new technology. A competition launched in January will invest £6m late-stage robotics and automation innovation in manufacturing. Budget 2023 introduced Full Expensing, allowing 100% deduction of the cost of qualifying plant and machinery from profits before tax, and a first-year allowance, allowing 50% deduction of the cost of other machinery, from profits during the year of purchase.

Trade Agreements: Gulf Cooperation Council

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress theyhave made in negotiating a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council; and when they expect to reach an agreement.

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government whatprogress they have made in negotiating a new trade agreement with Canada; and when they expect an agreement to be reached.

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in negotiating a new trade agreement with Mexico; and when they expect an agreement to be reached.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: We have an ambitious programme of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations to help our nation become a truly Global Britain. We have completed two rounds of negotiations with Mexico, and three rounds of negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council. The fifth round of negotiations with Canada concluded on 24 March. We look forward to concluding negotiations at the earliest opportunity, but it is the substance of trade deals that is important, not the timing.

Treasury

Railways: North of England

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government whether Northern Powerhouse Rail is classified as an England and Wales project for the purposes of Barnett consequential funding; and if so, what aspects of that funding are spent in Wales.

Baroness Penn: The Barnett formula determines changes in devolved administration funding for responsibilities that are devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so. This is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in England and Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. For example, the Welsh Government similarly does not receive Barnett funding in relation to UK Government spending on prisons in England because the UK Government also funds prisons in Wales directly. The UK Government’s existing rail investment in Wales includes upgrading the signalling on the Cambrian Line, developing upgrades for Cardiff Central Station, re-opening Bow Street Station, and the electrification of the Severn Tunnel.

Electronic Government

Lord Lipsey: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make the Government Gateway more accessible for new users.

Baroness Penn: Before a customer can interact with HMRC online services we need to be confident that the customer has the right to do so and that customer data is suitably protected. Core tools that help HMRC to gain this confidence are:Identity Verification (IV): What is the real world identity of the user accessing the online servicesAuthentication: Confidence that a returning user is the same user who created the original account HMRC currently use Government Gateway and HMRC Identity Service for online authentication and identity verification respectively but are planning to migrate to a new service titled Gov.UK One Login. Gov.UK One Login is a cross-Government service being developed by Government Digital Service (GDS). The service aims to simplify access to all Government services by allowing a customer to prove their identity once and to then re-use that identity. This reduces the barrier created in requiring customers to prove their identity multiple times across different Government departments. Accessibility and inclusivity are a priority for the programme and GDS have a plan of activity to improve inclusion over time. Examples include:A wider selection of data sources and options for a customer to use to prove their identityOffline channels available to those who cannot use the online offering This intention to migrate to Gov.UK One Login as the cross-Government strategic solution means that HMRC will limit any activity to increase accessibility within Government Gateway and the internal HMRC identity verification services. This is due to the limited remaining window to gain benefit from improvements to those services and the need to avoid duplication of effort.

Silicon Valley Bank UK

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Penn on 14 March (HL Deb col 1282), what exemptions to the Banking Act 2009 they granted to HSBC as part of its purchase of Silicon Valley Bank.

Baroness Penn: On Monday March 13, the government, in consultation with the Bank of England, used its powers under the Banking Act 2009 to broaden an existing exemption in ring-fencing legislation to facilitate HSBC’s purchase of SVB UK. This has allowed HSBC’s ring-fenced bank to provide preferential intra-group lending to SVB UK and ensured SVB UK has the necessary liquidity to continue operating. Separately, as a result of this existing provision in legislation, SVB UK will be exempt from ring-fencing requirements for a four-year transition period. The government intends to lay in due course another statutory instrument to extend this exemption beyond the four-year transition period, subject to conditions. This exemption will ensure that SVB UK can remain a commercially viable stand-alone business as part of HSBC group. HSBC itself remains subject to the ring-fencing regime.

Music Venues: Tax Allowances

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for granting tax relief for grassroots music venues to grant them parity with theatres, orchestras and other cultural institutions.

Baroness Penn: The Government recognises the value of the UK’s world leading creative industries and arts sectors. The objective of the creative industry tax reliefs is to support and incentivise production rather than to support venues themselves. The Government keeps all tax policy under review and regularly receives proposals for new tax reliefs. When considering a new tax relief, the Government must ensure it supports businesses in a fair way and that taxpayer money is effectively targeted. A tax relief for grassroots music venues is not currently under consideration.

Small Businesses: Taxation

Baroness Buscombe: To ask His Majesty's Government how they ensure that the correct tax is paid by small high street businesses, such as barbers and nail salons, that only accept cash for their goods and services and do not provide receipts.

Baroness Penn: The Government is committed to creating a level playing field for all sectors by ensuring that everyone pays the right amount of tax at the right time. Like all other businesses, those which exclusively accept cash must meet their tax obligations. HMRC’s approach to tax evasion aims to tackle current non-compliance and change future behaviours. Their activities include national campaigns and specialist task forces that incorporate intensive bursts of activity in targeted high risk trade sectors (including the retail and service industry) and locations across the UK. HMRC also works with customer groups and third parties, such as other local and central Government agencies, to reduce error and fraud within these sectors. This includes providing customer education highlighting the importance of keeping accurate records. HMRC take any report of suspected tax evasion seriously and operate a confidential Fraud Telephone Hotline and an online reporting tool available on GOV.UK.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of thepercentage of manufactured goods that are transported from Great Britain for end use in Northern Ireland and are for companies with a turnover in excess of £2 million.

Baroness Penn: The Windsor Framework significantly expands the number of businesses able to be classed as internal UK traders and move goods through the green lane. For manufacturing and processing companies, the existing £500,000 turnover limit will be quadrupled to £2 million, meaning around four-fifths of manufacturing and processing companies in Northern Ireland who trade with Great Britain will automatically be in scope of using the green lane.  Companies moving goods into NI for processing or manufacturing for use in the animal feed, healthcare, construction, not-for-profit and food sectors may also be eligible to move such goods in the green lane even if the company has a turnover in excess of £2 million.   Movements of goods not eligible for the green lane, but which can be demonstrated not to have entered the EU Single Market, will be able to benefit from a new tariff reimbursement scheme.

Banks: Insolvency

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of international banking failures on the UK economy.

Baroness Penn: As the Bank of England have said, the UK financial sector is fundamentally strong and resilient. The Government continues to work closely with the financial authorities, including with the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England which is responsible for identifying, monitoring and addressing systemic risks to financial stability.The resolution regime for banks, which was introduced following the 2008 financial crisis, allows the Bank of England to use its powers, where necessary, to minimise the impact of a bank failure on financial stability and the wider economy.

Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government whether theNorthern Ireland Assembly will be permitted to alter the rate of Corporation Tax applying in Northern Ireland; and if so, what financial consequences will arise from that decision following the UK's departure from the EU.

Baroness Penn: The Stormont House Agreement between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive agreed, in principle, for the power to set the rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland on certain trading profits to be devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly. It was agreed that the Executive would need to demonstrate that its finances were on a sustainable footing before devolution of this power could be undertaken, and that the Executive’s block grant would need to be adjusted to reflect the Corporation Tax revenues foregone if the devolved power were exercised.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Homosexuality

Lord Lexden: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Goldie on 17 October 2022 (HL Deb col 953), what progress they have made in implementing theprovisions in Part 12 of thePolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to enable those convicted of historical homosexual offences repealed by the Act to be pardoned.

Baroness Goldie: In addition to assisting with applications for a ‘disregard of Service convictions relating to sexuality’ from the Home Office under the current Disregards and Pardons scheme, Defence has been working proactively to establish new processes which will come into effect once the scheme is expanded; this is now expected in the coming spring months. It will always remain deeply regrettable that historically, valued Defence personnel were treated less favourably due to their sexuality. Discrimination of any kind is unacceptable.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Television Licences: Non-payment

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people received a fine for not paying their television licence each year from 2010 to 2022; and how many of those in each year were women.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The requirement to hold, and pay for, a television licence is set out in the Communications Act 2003 and the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004.People are liable to a financial penalty if they are convicted of TV licence evasion. The Ministry of Justice publishes figures on the number of people fined for non-payment of a TV licence; the information requested can be found below.Number of people who received a fine for licence fee evasion (2010–22), including the number of women who received a fine for licence fee evasion (2010–22)YearAllWomen (18+)2010141,68296,3212011148,539101,0072012164,167111,6852013152,680106,4502014162,341113,9862015166,119117,2412016152,375108,8432017128,61792,5682018120,53387,6342019113,00283,515202049,94837,542202144,36433,161Year ending June 202243,38132,541

Music Venues: Finance

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of applying a levy on ticket sales for large music events and at large arenas for investment in grassroots music.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they will offer to grassroots music venues, such as Brighton Concorde 2, to prevent them from closing down.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the backbone of our world-leading music sector.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues across the country of all sizes. We work with the industry and across Government to improve the sector's resilience, as demonstrated through the £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the £18 billion Energy Bills Relief Scheme.We will continue to engage with the sector on the impact of current pressures. As part of this engagement, the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, Julia Lopez MP, is meeting Music Venues Trust shortly to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and further ways to support the growth of the music sector and wider creative industries.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Finance

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to measure the effectiveness of (1) NHS England's plan to fund art, music or gardening classes instead of prescribing antidepressants, announced on 2 March, and (2) the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence's draft guidance, issued on 1 March,approving the use of digitally enabled therapies for patients with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and body dysmorphia disorders.

Lord Markham: The Department is committed to the roll out of social prescribing and associated activities, including arts, music and gardening across the National Health Service in England. Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) work with people to understand ‘what matters to them’ then to connect them to agencies for practical, emotional and social support and to community groups and activities. Where individuals consent, SPLWs capture wellbeing outcomes before and after engagement with the social prescribing service as routine practice, using standardised outcomes measures such as Office for National Statistics Four. There is growing evidence on the role that activities, whether they be creative, activity- or nature-based, improve people’s health and wellbeing. The role of SPLW is also being evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to determine how access, engagement and outcomes vary by delivery model, geography and population characteristics over time. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance has been released for guided Digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy tools for children and young people with symptoms of low mood and anxiety. The technologies in these categories are being evaluated by NICE as part of their Early Value Assessment, which covers both clinical and cost effectiveness. For NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services, a key characteristic is the routing collection of clinical outcome measures and monitoring activity. NHS England’s Digitally Enabled Therapies (DETs) Assessment Criteria enables DETs to be reviewed for suitability for use in NHS Talking Therapies Services.

Health Services: Pay

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherdifferentials in salary bands will be maintained between care staff and senior care staff within the Cost of Care model.

Lord Markham: The Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund required local authorities to work collaboratively with adult social care providers to conduct evidence-based Cost of Care exercises, to support them in building a shared understanding of the local costs for delivering care, including for categories such as staff pay. However, the pay and terms and conditions for care workers are set independent of central government. When commissioning services from providers, their Care Act 2014 duties require local authorities to assure themselves that their fees enable appropriate staff renumeration, so as to retain an effective workforce.

Fluoride: Health Hazards

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United States’ National Toxicology Program’s report State of the Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure, dated September 2022.

Lord Markham: The Department notes that this paper is still in draft and that according to the United States National Toxicology Programme (NTP) website, which was updated on 15 March 2023, the NTP is going through an internal process to decide on final publication. We also note that earlier drafts of the paper were reviewed by the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (US NASEM). At the time, the US NASEM stated that the review cannot be used to draw conclusions on effects at lower levels of fluoride, i.e., below the United Kingdom regulatory limit for fluoride of 1.5 milligram per litre. This means that the findings of the US NTP draft review could not be used to draw conclusions relevant to existing water fluoridation schemes in the UK.

Electronic Cigarettes

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the sale of single use vapes.

Lord Markham: There are no immediate plans to introduce a ban on disposable vaping devices.